It was bound to happen. As more and more consumers and government leaders learn about the value of home care, and more state money is made available to home health services, the long term care industry is becoming frustrated. They are seeing dollars they think should be spent on nursing home care going to home care.

Here’s an example:

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 9, 2008 —
The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Homecare Association (PHA) said today that a claim by nursing home interests that home health care is draining resources from nursing homes is “factually false and destructive to broad-based efforts to make limited public dollars go further in providing medical and health services for all Pennsylvanians.”

Vicki Hoak, the PHA director, said, “The nursing home industry has seen its reimbursement rates climb 22 percent in just the past five years. By contrast, home health care providers have not seen an increase in reimbursement rates for four years. Before that increase, the reimbursement rate had been stagnant for thirteen years.”

What’s happening in your state regarding Medicaid expenditure for home health care? Are you seeing more awareness of the benefits of home care? What are you doing to help communicate the message of home care to legislators and regulators?

Give us your comments below.